Wordl in Conflict

Manuel du jeu vidéo Wordl in Conflict. INTRODUCTION The Cold War The end of World War II brought with it the hope for a new world order, where global confl icts dissolved and the wartime alliance between the Soviet Union and the United States would usher in a lasting peace. But over time their divergences became critically evident, and it was obvious that the two could not exist side by side. The Cold War was on. The Cold War was a time of tense confl ict. With an Iron Curtain across Europe, the Berlin Wall separating the Capitalist west from the Communist east, the two sides regarded each other with caution and contempt. Concerned of attacks from one another, both the United States and the Soviet Union spent untold trillions on development of both conventional and nuclear defenses they silently hoped would never need to be used. They poured every effort into strengthening their own image, always trying to outmatch and outsmart the other in every way possible, resulting in a variety of endeavors in espionage and science, including a full-blown space race to the moon. The Soviet Attack As the 1980s drew to a close, the Soviet Union found itself bankrupt, disorganized and unable to keep up with the United States in the Cold War arms race. Adding to this bubbling cauldron, President Reagan’s US Strategic Defense Initiative, or “Star Wars” project, was threatening to signifi cantly upset the delicate balance of mutual deterrence. Funds required for upgrading the Soviet nuclear arsenal and conventional forces were rapidly becoming scarce within the communist state. This led to increasing cuts in the civilian sector, which in turn caused widespread famines and supply shortages. As a last resort, the Soviet Politburo devised to blackmail Western Europe. They demanded from Europe the aid they needed, or they would invade and take it for themselves. The Western Alliance initially viewed the Politburo’s threats as a bluff and attempted to orchestrate an end to the crisis through diplomatic channels. However, despite the West’s fevered rhetoric, the Soviet Union had already decided on a path from which there was no turning back. As the crisis wore on, the Warsaw Pact steadily increased its readiness level, compelling NATO to mobilize a defense along the borders of the Iron Curtain. Then in what seemed like an instant, World War III had begun. During the initial stages of the war, the Soviet Union made signifi cant progress. Though marshaled, NATO was ill-prepared, initially fi nding itself pushed back on several fronts as the Soviets attacked both along the expected axis through West Germany and with an amphibious assault on southern France. But as the battles wore on, REFORGER convoys were eventually able to resupply the NATO troops with fresh reinforcements and weaponry. Though the fi ghting was hard and at great cost to the NATO forces, the Soviet offensive in Europe was eventually halted. However, unknown to its enemies, the Soviets had lightened their European ambitions and turned their eyes to the American foe. With strategic planning on an unparalleled scale, the Red Army launched a devastating surprise attack on the west coast of the United States.